Having played just five games in the D-League since the Washington Wizards assigned him and still making his way into the rotation as just 19 minutes per game off the bench, it's tough to evaluate N'Diaye beyond what we've already seen from him in college and at Portsmouth.

The best thing to take away from the limited action we saw from N'Diaye is the physical and vocal style he brings to the defensive end, doing a great job communicating with his teammates, stepping out to help on the perimeter in the lane, and really asserting his physical tools well all over the floor. He did a decent job when matched against Cole Aldrich in one game, bodying him up well and doing a solid job keeping him from establishing dominant position. His ability to block shots both in the post and helping from the weakside is a great strength, but cutting down on his fouls needs to be a priority.

Offensively, N'Diaye is still very much a work in progress, not being able to contribute much other than an occasional jump hook in the post and hitting just a poor 4-for-15 field goal attempts in his five games since being sent down. Finding better ways to impact the game off the ball should be his priority by getting open on cuts, pinning his man under the rim, crashing the offensive glass, and setting hard picks to get teammates open, as his post game is still very much a work in progress.

Looking forward, N'Diaye still has some work to do, but getting some minutes in the D-League should be pretty good for his development. Cutting down on the fouls and finding ways to contribute offensively should be his main priorities, while further developing his post game or becoming a more respectable mid-range shooter wouldn't hurt either.

N'Diaye is doing a nice job of showing teams what his role could be at the NBA level, as his combination of size, length, strength and toughness is difficult to come by, and the fact that he reportedly has outstanding intangibles will help him quite a bit in his goal of sticking around long-term. [Read Full Article]Portsmouth Invitational Tournament Recap, All-First TeamApril 13, 2010Kyle Nelson

Rutgers center Hamady N'Diaye had one of the better camps of any of the big men in attendance here, establishing himself as a player teams in need of a backup big men should look at considering his rare physical tools and terrific activity level. N'Diaye is a raw, 23-year-old center with average hands and conditioning who is known primarily as a shot blocking specialist, but may be able to find himself a spot on the end of a teamís bench as an energy guy and defensive presence.

N'Diaye has good athleticism relative to his excellent size, an impressive frame, and a developing skill set. He showed a consistent hook shot on the offensive end, but did look comfortable with anything else on this end of the floor. His hands are not very good and his footwork is a work in progress, but he appears to be a hard worker and should continue to improve in time.

On the defensive end, he has solid lateral quickness and timing, which coupled with his explosiveness and aggressiveness, allows him to be a good shot blocker and a solid overall defender at this level.

As with most shot blockers, however, he finds himself out of position when he attempts to block a shot and gives up easy shots around the rim. He also is not much of a rebounder, on account of his hands rather than because of a lack of effort.

N'Diaye has the ability to be a solid presence as a team defender thanks to his mobility hedging screens on the perimeter and his ability to rotate from the weak-side, things that are in short supply these days when considering the crop of 6-11 players available on the free agent market.

N'Diaye seems to have very good intangibles, as he is a good teammate with a steady learning curve, a penchant for hustling and working hard, a positive attitude, and, a reputation for being coachable. Coupled with his size, athleticism, and potential, he could emerge as an intriguing prospect this summer or especially down the road if he continues to improve. [Read Full Article]Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, Day OneApril 8, 2010After four years as a shot-blocking specialist at Rutgers, long, athletic 6í11 center Hamady Ndiaye had a solid first game (10 Points 5/8 FG, 10 Rebounds, 2 Blocks, 2 Turnovers) at Portsmouth.

On defense, he played with energy and used his solid lateral quickness, timing, and length to alter more shots than his two blocks indicate. He even was a factor on the boards and boxed out on most defensive possessions, which was interesting given his sub-par rebounding numbers at Rutgers.

On offense, he had a couple of nice jump hooks, but his poor hands, non-existent ball handling ability, questionable instincts, and raw skill set are severely limiting factors, even if he does finish well around the basket. His conditioning also looked poor as he struggled to get up and down the court after a few minutes of intense effort.

He is a player worth watching in this setting, however, considering his size, length, shot-blocking ability and the effort level he brings to the table, things that are in rare supply amongst 6-11 centers, and surely helped himself in his first game. [Read Full Article]